If they keep crashing my PC hard drive like this, I may not have a need for a router at all. We continue to wonder how many quickie repair crews they can send out to one spot before it becomes cheaper just to really fix whatever’s broken.

Back on June 25, I had the pleasure of attending an evening of the Buffalo Bills Futures Pro tennis tournament, on the fancy schmancy viewing deck at the Tennis Club of Rochester (on Kreag Road in Perinton). This tournament has become one of the favorite stops on the Futures Tour for players working their way up the rankings. The Bills are true tennis ambassadors and have been recognized by the USTA for their promotion of the game. Thanks to my son and his co-worker who provided tickets and a refreshments tab.

Come to the Fairport Farmer’s Market on Saturday, May 30th from 9 a.m. to noon and visit the Fairport Historic Preservation Commission (FHPC) booth. The Commission is celebrating Preservation Month in May and will have a Introduction to on Architecture Styles guide and quiz to hand out as well as displays and general preservation information.

The Commissioners will answer questions about historic preservation in the village of Fairport and discuss the Historic Resources Architectural Survey of the Village of Fairport. The survey, done in 2014, recommended the option for historic districts, National Register designations. Please stop by and see what is happening with historic preservation in Fairport.

The FHPC was established in June 2007, when the village board passed an Historic Preservation law and created the Commission. In the past eight years, the FHPC has designated for preservation more than 30 structures, properties and hitching posts as it fulfills its mission to protect, enhance and perpetuate Fairport landmarks in a manner consistent with our changing society. It has now received the results of an epic survey of historic properties within Fairport that will likely have a dramatic influence on historic preservation efforts in Fairport for the next 20 years.

The FHPC designates structures only when it meets at least one of five criteria outlined in the law. These criteria are clearly seen in those structures that have been designated. A few examples are: The Deland House – Green Lantern Inn (with its special character and historic value); The Abner Wight house (home of an early settler); the Martin Wood house (best example of a Greek Revival in Fairport); Rochester Telephone Building (designed by renowned architect J. Foster Warner) and the Main Street Lift Bridge (which is uniquely Fairport).

While the FHPC has designation of individual structures has successfully preserved many important landmarks in Fairport, in 2014 the FHPC took a new approach by commissioning a survey of historic properties – something that had not been done on a systematic basis since 1976.

The FHPC hired Bero Architecture of Rochester to conduct the survey with additional research by the members of the FHPC. The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and the Fairport Office of Community and Economic Development funded it. In addition to identifying all buildings with historic and/or architectural significance within the Village limits, Bero was asked to make recommendations on protecting these important village resources.

The survey, which Bero delivered to the FHPC this fall, identified more than 100 structures that would be appropriate for local designation, of which about 30 had potential for placement on the National Register of Historic Places. Bero also commended Fairport for its vigorous designation efforts. But it also found that Fairport lacked a preservation tool used by many communities in New York to drive income tax benefits to its residents – the use of historic districts.

Owners of locally designated structures have realized many benefits from the designation. Studies show that local designation of landmarks can stabilize and often increase property value. Landmark status can increase sale potential and loan value due to lending institutions’ perception of greater value. There is also the gratification in owning an identified structure of architectural and/or historic integrity. Designation insures that the building’s special historic, architectural or cultural character will be protected from destructive or insensitive rehabilitation in the future.

Owners of properties on the National Historic Register, however, have the potential to be eligible for both New York State and Federal income tax credits for rehabilitation work on their historic structures — may qualify for a tax incentive of 20% of qualified rehabilitation costs of structures, up to a credit value of $50,000.00. A property can be place on the nation registry either by individual application (which can be a laborious process) or by inclusion in an historic district of similar historically significant buildings.
FHPC Commissioners will be at the Fairport Farmer’s Market on Saturday, May 30th to discuss the historic preservation in the village of Fairport and the historic resources survey recommendations. Please stop by and see what is happening with historic preservation in Fairport. For more information on preservation visit the village website at: www.fairportny.com.
Media Contact:
Fritz May, Mayor
585-421-3209

In 2008, Fairport photographer Keith Boas began an assignment to illustrate the calendar, Front Porches of Fairport, for the year 2010. During the next 10 months, he walked the streets of the village with his camera, recording images of homes that struck him as being front-porch friendly.

Keith later realized that many of the images contained the U.S. flag; its bold red, white and blue colors jumping out and commanding attention. The frequent presence of flags on Fairport porches made a positive visual statement, “shouting” the patriotism of so many local residents.

More than 60 of Keith’s photos featuring the flag in Fairport and surrounding Perinton hamlets will be on display in the museum from May 23 through July 30, 2015.

This is a correction to my previous blog post, which has apparently been deleted due to an inaccuracy. I’m not complaining about the deletion, but I will offer some explanations.

First, it is difficult for me to correct a blog post. When I first submit an article, it appears in the D&C digital stream a while later, usually within a few hours (different every time). I can physically submit an update to the original submission location, HOWEVER, my experience is that UPDATES NEVER APPEAR in the digital stream once the original article has gone live.

I had incorrectly written, “It looks like Fairport taxpayers won’t be getting a NYS rebate this year.” My reference material was a D&C article on Sunday, May 17, in which D&C staff writer Joseph Spector wrote, “The $1.5 billion rebate program reimburses homeowners for increases in property taxes if, in year one, their local governments and schools stay under the tax cap, which limits the growth in property taxes to less than 2 percent a year.”

Now in year two, districts must also come up with efficiency plans by June 1. The Fairport increase this year is over 2%.

We received a correction from Christina Lewis Gursslin, Communication & Public Relations Specialist for the Fairport Central School District: “The Fairport CSD proposed budget for 2015-16 equates to a 4.55% budget increase. Our tax levy will increase by 3.49% which is also the District’s allowable levy limit (tax cap) according to the state’s formula. The projected tax rate will increase 2.62%. The District is complying with the requirements of the tax cap, and expects that residents will receive a rebate check from the state.”

Apparently, Mr. Spector’s “2 percent” figure was incorrect or misleading, or, it’s too complicated for me. I had also used the Fairport district’s newsletter as reference material. I have not seen in those several pages if there is a statement about the tax rebate.

Don’t forget to vote on the school budget, Tuesday, May 19, Johanna Perrin Middle School gymnasium, 85 Potter Place, 6a-9p.

The proposed increase of the budget is 4.55%, while the consumer price index has risen 1.62%, so it looks like Fairport taxpayers won’t be getting a NYS rebate this year (given to taxpayers whose districts keep spending low). Even the contingency budget has an increase of over 2%.

Rochester Gas & Electric wants a temporary rate increase to support the continued operation of the Ginna nuclear power plant. This will provide a desired level of reliability while other sources are found or built to replace Ginna’s power.

No one likes a rate increase, but assuming RGE has the consumers’ interests at heart, and assuming there’s not a cheaper way to provide the reliability even if it means lower profits for RGE, then I’m OK with six bucks a month for a while.

However, my understanding is RGE won’t replace my neighborhood’s overhead lines with underground lines because the cost of the change isn’t worth the additional reliability. A bad ice storm will wipe out my neighborhood for days, but RGE can’t justify the cost of making my neighborhood less vulnerable.

And, RGE doesn’t have a program to help homeowners protect ash trees from the emerald ash borer. There are treatments, but they’re expensive (a couple hundred dollars for a mature tree, every two years). Again, RGE can’t justify the cost of helping to make my neighborhood less vulnerable to dying trees.

I must bear responsibility for my property, but I’m not the brainiac who decided to thread overhead power lines between the branches of the trees in my neighborhood.

Backup generators present a difficult value proposition. A multi-day power failure happens very rarely, but the installation and maintenance of a natural gas backup system costs many thousands of dollars over that period. It would be nice to have the backup when the big one hits, but that’s a lot of money. Cheaper gasoline-based backups have their own drawbacks, not the least of which is the constant storage of several gallons of gasoline.

Billing consumers for extra reliability of power generation could be coupled with better reliability of residential connections to the grid.

Busy day on Saturday. First, my adult son and I visited my elderly parents in their facilities in Oswego. I visit approximately weekly, and the drive along Rt. 104 hasn’t always been easy this winter. Sometimes, the snowmobiles are going faster than the cars. As for my parents, my father is 97 years old (Mom is just 83), and let’s just say it was good for my son to visit at this time.

We returned to Fairport and stopped at Compane Brick Oven Bistro. We enjoyed a breadstick and hummus appetizer, then their style of thin pizza.

Then, off to experience the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra accompanying the FuturPointe urban dance ensemble and the Rochester City Ballet. Although I always enjoy the visual aspect of a live RPO concert, the dance groups added a beautiful element.

Finally, home for the night. My lovely wife and I opted to change our Time Warner service to take advantage of a promotional package, and we now have HBO for at least a year, so I’m going to experience “Game of Thrones” for the first time.

Gary Gocek grew up in Liverpool (central NY) and attended RIT (BS in CS). He has lived in or around Fairport for over 20 years. Gary now lives west of the village of Fairport with his wife, two cats and two guitars. He has two young-adult sons who graduated from FHS.

Gary works as a software developer and enjoys his family, music, ethnic heritage activities, church activities and DVDs-by-mail. He maintains family and other websites. After 9/11, he became a news junkie, gathering news from the D&C, TV, radio and the Internet. Gary says blogging is a natural extension, and for the D&C he hopes to "mix typical diary-like blog entries with humorous posts and comments on local politics."